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en-usEngadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronicsCopyright 2018 AOL Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.https://www.engadget.com/2017/10/06/first-zika-test-blood-donation-fda-approval/https://www.engadget.com/2017/10/06/first-zika-test-blood-donation-fda-approval/https://www.engadget.com/2017/10/06/first-zika-test-blood-donation-fda-approval/#comments

While the Zika virus is primarily transmitted by mosquito bites, it could also be passed through blood transfusion. To ensure that nobody who needs transfusion in the US gets infected, the US Food and Drug Administration has approved the first test that can screen Zika in blood donations. The cobas Zika test can detect the virus' RNA in plasma taken from donated whole blood and blood components. It can't be used to diagnose infection, but it can keep the country's blood supply Zika-free.

Facebook is lending a hand to help solve India's safe blood shortage. Its solution is to leverage its popular social network to put people in touch with blood donors. Starting in October, users in India will be able to sign up to become donors via their profile or by clicking on a designated promo message on the News Feed. The tool will ask you to submit info, such as your blood type and whether you've donated blood before. Facebook promises to keep your details private, but you can choose to share a simple donor status with others on the timeline.

It's difficult to spot cancer cells -- just one in a billion blood cells are cancerous. How do you isolate them to know the trouble someone is facing and eventually treat it? By drawing the kind of mazes you enjoyed as a kid, apparently. Researchers have developed a microfluidic chip that uses a circular labyrinth to separate cancer cells from the rest of your bloodstream and spot the stem-like cells that will aggressively spread that cancer. Ultimately, it's a creative use of physics. The curves tend to push larger cancer cells forward (smaller regular cells cling to the walls), while the corners mix things up and put white blood cells in an ideal position.

Doctors dream of having artificial blood always on hand, but the reality has usually been very different. While you can produce red blood cells in a lab, the current technique (which prods stem cells into action) only nets a small number of them at best. British researchers appear to have found the solution, however: they've developed a technique that can reliably produce an unlimited number of red blood cells. The trick is to create "immortalized" premature red blood cells that you can culture as much as you like, making mass production a real possibility.

Russian artist Vtol is no stranger to making sounds with unusual technology, but one of his latest projects might top them all. He recently created Until I Die, an electronic sound installation powered by himself -- namely, his blood. His creation uses vital fluid as an electrolyte that, when combined with metals like aluminum and copper, results in direct current batteries. The project isn't about to compete with the battery in your phone (five batteries manage a capacity of just 1,000mAh), but that's enough to power a synth module and speaker for roughly 8 hours.

Like it or not, your body gradually loses its capacity for producing blood as you age -- that's why immune deficiencies, leukemia and other blood conditions become more likely with time. Scientists may have found a way to turn back the clock, though. They've found a way to rejuvenate blood by reprogramming the stem cells that create it. The team effectively "resets" the stem cells by turning them into iPS cells, which can generate any kind of cell. When they once again form blood stem cells, it's as if they were brand new.

Today on In Case You Missed It: Stanford bioengineers created a centrifuge to separate blood and detect disease, all based on whirligigs from childhood. They estimate the blood cell device would cost only 20 cents a piece to make, and since it's human-powered, could be used all over off-the-grid locations to help diagnose diseases like tuberculosis.

The National Science Foundation helped fund research into walking efficiency and the artist who imagined a sad robot dystopia is here. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.

Paramedics and rescue teams can't always afford to wait for blood supplies, especially when they're in remote locations where most vehicles would take too long (or can't visit at all). However, they might not have to worry for much longer. Johns Hopkins researchers have determined that it's safe to carry large bags of blood products (such as transfusions) using drones. In a study, they discovered that the robotic fliers didn't affect the chemical, hemotological or microbial traits of samples flown at an altitude of 328 feet, even when carrying it as far as 12 miles away. So long as the blood is kept in a temperature-monitored cooler, it's usable almost right away.

When is comes to HIV tests, a drop of blood and a USB stick may be all patients need in the near future. Scientists at the Imperial College London developed a device with the help of medical testing company DNA Electronics that detects HIV levels in the bloodstream and creates a signal that can be read using a computer or handheld gadget. The disposable testing units could be used to help HIV patients monitor their treatment as well as improve how doctors manage the virus in remote locations.

Walgreens is taking Theranos to court for $140 million, according to Wall Street Journal investigative reporter John Carreyrou and a motion filed today in Delaware district court. The details of the case are secret, as the companies both signed non-disclosure agreements that could be violated if Walgreens' actual complaint were made public.

In Rwanda, transporting critical medicine and blood can be difficult if the patient is in a remote location. Heavy downpours can wash out the roads, and local hospitals are often too small to stock everything their doctors might need. Now, the Rwandan government is side-stepping the problem with a drone delivery program. In the western half of the country, 21 transfusion clinics can request batches of blood via text. The order will be picked up by Zipline, a California-based robotics firm, at its "nest" base in Muhanga. A small drone will then be deployed and, upon arrival, swoop down low to drop the package off at a designated "mailbox" area.

For diabetes patients, managing blood sugar levels through insulin pens, needles or pumps is a necessary hassle -- but it might be far easier to handle going forward. The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the first automated insulated delivery device for type 1 diabetes, Medtronic's MiniMed 670G. The gadget uses a sensor to detect glucose levels under your skin every 5 minutes, and supplies just enough insulin to keep your blood sugar stable. While you do have to trigger a manual insulin dose after meals, you generally won't have to be as involved in the process as before.

Today on In Case You Missed It: Nasa launched the OSIRIS-Rex craft this week to begin its long and lonely mission to visit the Bennu asteroid. It'll return to Earth in seven years full of space rocks and hopefully nothing else. Meanwhile, Harvard Medical School has devised a way to see how bacteria evolves to become resistant to antibiotics.

No, this isn't one of your childhood sci-fi dreams brought to life -- it's real. University of Michigan researchers have developed a medical observation laser where human blood is a key ingredient. When the team shined a laser into a small cavity full of dye-infused blood, they discovered that they could process the laser's light according to their needs. They could amplify the light to exaggerate small changes in cell activity, or filter it to reduce background noise. Existing techniques combine dyes with infrared or visible light in a way that makes it difficult to spot tiny differences.

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bloodhealthlasermedicinesciencesurgeryuniversityofmichiganMon, 05 Sep 2016 23:11:00 -040021|21465704https://www.engadget.com/2016/08/26/fda-blood-test-zika/https://www.engadget.com/2016/08/26/fda-blood-test-zika/https://www.engadget.com/2016/08/26/fda-blood-test-zika/#comments
In light of the Zika virus rapidly spreading to other parts of the world, the Food and Drug Administration has changed up its recommendations for donated blood. Going forward, all blood donated in the United States should be screened for the Zika virus.

After months of screaming at Theranos to clean up its act, Walgreens has formally ended its partnership with the blood testing startup. The pharmacy chain said that the CMS' recent rejection of Theranos' recovery plan and the looming threat of sanctions forced the relationship to end. Walgreens will now close all 40 of its remaining Theranos Wellness Centers in Arizona and "transition" customers to more reliable testing methods. Such as casting bones, consulting the tree spirits or looking at your wrist and then just guessing what's wrong with yourself. Walgreens was Theranos' main source of business, and without those retail locations, it's not clear how the startup is going to survive.

When doctors draw blood for analysis, it's vital that the sample either be immediately examined or refrigerated. That's because the proteins which indicate various diseases will either be destroyed by enzymes in the blood or deformed by ambient heat. Either way, the sample quickly becomes useless if you leave it sitting out. However a team of researchers from Tufts University have developed a new way to store samples without having to put them on ice by using silkworm cocoons.

You might never have to worry that you'll fall victim to a heart condition passed along by your family. Researchers have developed a blood test that can reliably detect all known inherited heart problems, like genetically-based arrhythmia -- if doctors know about it, they can spot it. Previous tests only looked at a handful of genes and were only useful in certain circumstances, but the new technique identifies flaws in all 174 genes linked to the potentially life-threatening issues.

Astronauts don't have it easy when they come home, and it's not just because of the change in gravity: their red blood cell production drops while they're in space, leaving them weakened on Earth. But why? That's what a Canadian experiment aboard the International Space Station hopes to find out. The research is testing red and white blood cell functions, as well as bone marrow fat levels, to see how they change before, during and after spaceflight. It should not only show how microgravity (and the resulting lack of activity) affects blood cells, but how reversible the effects are. How soon could you go back to normal?

It's no longer a rare feat to 3D print blood vessels. Printing vessels that act like the real deal, however, has been tricky... until now. Lawrence Livermore researchers have successfully 3D printed blood vessels that deliver nutrients and self-assemble like they would in a human body. The key is to print an initial structure out of cells and other organic material, and then to augment it with bio ink and other body-friendly materials. With enough time, everything joins up and behaves naturally.

Field medics have ways to practice their craft before they're helping soldiers on the battlefield, but it's hard for them to understand how wounds work until they're involved in a life-or-death rescue. UCLA scientists may have the tool these medics need, however: they've developed the first detailed injury simulation to show medics what to expect. The virtual gash could make you a bit queasy (sorry!), but it's uncannily accurate. A mix of fluid dynamics and in-depth mechanics (such as bones, skin and vessels) makes sure that blood flows much as it would from a real person.

It's safe to say that you want your doctors to know exactly what they're doing when performing surgery. But how do they train for a vascular operation, which is both extremely tricky and unique to your anatomy? By using 3D printing, that's how. MakerBot's parent company Stratasys is teaming with physicians to create 3D-printed replicas of patients' vascular systems, giving surgeons a way to practice before they poke around your blood vessels. The models use flexible photopolymers (that is, light-sensitive polymers) to recreate the feel of organic tissue, so you don't have to worry that the surgery team is only used to working with hardened plastic.

Controversy has swirled around Silicon Valley startup Theranos ever since theWall Street Journal reported the company has struggled to roll out its unique blood testing technology. Since 2013 Walgreens has partnered with Theranos to use it for blood testing in the Phoenix area, but now the Journal says the drugstore chain is looking for answers too. It claims that Walgreens found out from the reports that Theranos had stopped using its tiny "nanotainers" to collect blood for all but one type of test. In a statement provided to Engadget (you can read it in full after the break), Walgreens says "we are currently in discussions about the next phase of our relationship" and that the two are trying to figure out a mutually beneficial arrangement. Meanwhile, Theranos has maintained it is confident in the accuracy of its tests, and says that by being faster and cheaper they can identify health problems earlier.

Battlefield medics and paramedics rely on chemical-infused bandages to help stem blood loss and treat wounds. However, the blood itself is frequently their worst enemy -- it takes those chemicals away from where they're needed. Those first responders may soon have a much smarter solution, though. Researchers have developed bandages with a combination of powdered marble, acid and enzymes that fizzes on contact with blood, using the resulting bubbles to transport microparticles toward deeper vessels that need clotting. The particles currently travel in all directions, but scientists envision using an endoscope to send the fizz to where it's most useful.

Sepsis is a mysterious condition. It's the body's life-threatening response to an infection and it's usually tied to a weakened immune system, but it can be triggered by just a cut or routine surgery. Each year in the United States, Sepsis affects more than 1 million people and kills up to half, according to the National Institutes of Health. There's no treatment for Sepsis or septic shock, the deadly full-body inflammatory response, but scientists at Harvard's Wyss Institute are working on a new dialysis system that cleans the blood of poisonous pathogens, Reuters reports.